Most of landscape architect Pete Pedersen’s projects aren’t eight years in the making — but then again, they’re not his own family’s property. This one is. Starting with a blank hillside, Pedersen designed a lush, inviting landscape that abuts open space and captures views of Mount Tamalpais, near San Francisco. The property slopes down from street level toward the newly built home, which Pedersen jokingly describes as “a bungalow on steroids.” Pedersen Associates Photos by Barbara Ries

Yard at a Glance
Who lives here: Landscape architect Pete Pedersen, his wife and 2 sons (one is away at college)
Location: San Anselmo, California (near San Francisco)
Size: About 1 acre Pedersen Associates Descending from the street, steps of broken bluestone are held together with blind joints, creating the look of unmortared pieces. Each step is capped with stone that Pedersen selected for its attractive leading edge. Pedersen Associates Judicious repurposing of excavated soil from up the slope created flat areas farther down, such as this landing, giving the family many more usable spaces. Pedersen Associates Adjacent to the house, a half-size bocce court was constructed using 200 pounds of oyster shell. The court was finished with a top dressing of oyster dust, which seeps into tiny crevices, smoothing the surface. Pedersen Associates The western redcedar gate and arbor echo the bungalow-inspired architecture of the home. Sally Holmes rose (Rosa ‘Sally Holmes’) welcomes visitors into the garden. Pedersen Associates On a flat terrace, a dramatic stone-faced fireplace serves as a focal point. Its bluestone mantel and flue cap coordinate with the paving stones. The hillside beyond the fence is public open space. Pedersen Associates Large swaths of single plantings — white carpet rose, gaura (Gaura lindheimeri), echeveria (Echeveria imbricata) and Jerusalem sage (Phlomis fruticosa) — form a backdrop to the fireplace. Pederson wanted a quilt-like effect. “It’s not a huge area, and I didn’t want it to look choppy,” he says.

A 2½-foot-tall dry-stacked-stone wall separates the plantings. “I worked with a really good stonemason,” Pedersen says. “A lot of thought went into selecting and placing the stones.” Pedersen Associates A small lawn adjacent to the fireplace area makes a soft landing for bare feet. The grass is tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea), which doesn’t require heavy watering.

See 7 low-maintenance lawn alternatives Pedersen Associates Pedersen relied on a palette of unthirsty plants throughout the garden. Because of the parcel’s location next to an undeveloped, open area, it’s at risk of wildfires and is officially in a Wildland-Urban Interface, which places strict guidelines on the home and the landscaping. As a result, even some native plants, such as manzanita, were ruled as being too flammable in fire-prone California. Pedersen Associates Miscanthus ‘Autumn Light’ billows behind a mix of germander (Teucrium chamaedrys), catmint (Nepeta faassenii), Santa Barbara sage (Salvia leucantha ‘Santa Barbara’), yarrow (Achillea ‘Moonbeam’) and Cleveland sage (Salvia clevelandii ‘Winifred Gilman’). A Canary Island date palm anchors the composition. Pedersen Associates A weathered bench is nestled among Santa Barbara sage (Salvia leucantha ‘Santa Barbara’). Pedersen Associates Multiple levels of the hillside property are connected by stairways formed of thick stone slabs. Here pittosporum, echeveria (Echeveria imbricata), statice (Limonium perezii) and waverly sage (Salvia ‘Waverly’) soften the edges. Pedersen Associates Farther down the hill, a bluestone deck surrounds the pool, overlooking a verdant valley. Pedersen Associates Pedersen Associates The sizable palm tree was brought to the site, along with several others that were offered by people redoing their landscapes. Pedersen used a crane to remove and transport the substantial trees, adding instant maturity to an otherwise new landscape. Pedersen Associates Behind the pool a stained concrete wall with a hand-troweled finish backs a long, low seating area. Boston ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata) scrambles over. Pedersen Associates Mount Tamalpais lies in the distance, providing the ultimate pool-side view.

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